It is often recommended that individuals reduce their intake of fats, particularly saturated fats, in order to remain fit and in good health. Moreover, the reduction of overall caloric intake is of dietary interest in order to prevent obesity, diabetes, heart disease and the like.
Food manufacturers, in response to health and weight concerns of consumers, have attempted to reduce the fat content and calories of various food products, particularly spreads. Such reduced fat and calorie products, unfortunately, are not only difficult to formulate but generally inferior in appearance, taste and texture when compared to conventional high fat and calorie products. Moreover, in order to enhance flavor in nonfat, low-fat and high-fat containing spreads, food manufacturers have combined spices, like cinnamon, with the various products they prepare. The products having enhanced flavoring additives, unfortunately, often have an inferior appearance due to phase separation, bleeding or leaching of the various components combined to enhance the flavor of the spread.
It is of increasing interest to prepare a heterogeneous edible spread that has superior appearance, taste and texture. This invention, therefore, is directed to a heterogeneous edible spread comprising a water-in-oil composition having a water soluble humectant and a varigate composition having a water soluble humectant whereby the former and the latter comprise substantially the same water activity, and preferably, substantially the same flavor, and unexpectedly result in a heterogeneous edible spread with superior appearance, taste, and texture.